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Eyelids (Guided By Voices, The Decemberists)

EYELIDS have a collective history of creating music for some of the most legendary indie songwriters. These longtime Portland, Oregon collaborators were not only the principal instrumentalists for Robert Pollard's post Guided By Voices band Boston Spaceships for over eight releases, but they have also worked with Stephen Malkmus, The Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Sam Coomes of Quasi, Black Prairie, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Loch Lomond, Damien Jurado and Peter Buck (who is producing their upcoming EP this Fall).

Principal songwriters John Moen and Chris Slusarenko have turned inwards to their loves of New Zealand/Flying Nun guitar buzz, their teenage L.A. Paisley Underground obsessions, haunts of early Athens and all things beautiful, lopsided and rock. Along with members Jonathan Drews (guitar), Jim Talstra (bass) and Paulie Pulvirenti (drums) they push and pull against each other's songwriting, in a beautiful tension that just works. Their critically celebrated debut 7” SEAGULLS INTO SUBMISSION got airplay everywhere from BBC Radio to WFMU and was also included in MOJO Magazine's Editors Picks of The Month. This single, as well as the accompanying video, is just a hint of what EYELIDS are all about.

With 13 songs, most of them clocking in at less than 2 1/2 minutes, their debut album ‘854’ is full of what EYELIDS describes as “sweet melodies and bummer vibes”. ‘854’ makes us remember when our favorite songs were both melancholy and buoyant—those same songs that could make you feel justifiably sad and later make you feel incredibly happy and empowered. That’s what these guys are onto. And, although they are on their own trip, they’ve been compared to Love, Dinosaur Jr., Big Star, and even early R.E.M. Good company. This is the spirit that comes alive in EYELIDS songs: the Beatles meets Television jangle of “Psych #1,” the wistful pleas of “Abby’s Friends,” the beat-your-head-on-the-dashboard croon of “Forget About Tomorrow” and the deserted desperate cries that propel “Say It's Alright”. And as you listen, you will soon find out that Eyelids’ music is seriously catchy, haunting and uniquely their own.

Produced by Chris Slusarenko Engineered by Jonathan Drews

Recorded with Adam Selzer (The Gossip, The Breeders, Red Fang) and mastered by Carl Saff (Merge, SubPop).

After meeting in the early 90s, Bonebrake and Moremen bonded over shared musical obsessions, ranging from Captain Beefheart and Sun Ra to Beethoven and Stravinsky.

For years, they talked about doing an instrumental project together, but busy touring schedules and living in different cities kept the collaboration on the back burner until 2017. That’s when the duo enlisted two more longtime friends to start recording in earnest.

“Both Willie Aron and Victor Krummenacher came up immediately because they’ve been really good friends of ours for years,” says Moremen. “It's just been a real joy to get together in the studio and play music with these guys, because as long as we've known each other, we haven't actually played together,” adds Krummenacher.

Unlike Bonebrake’s other X side projects, the Flesh Eaters and the Knitters, Two Heads is centered by unison playing on vibes and guitar, but it’s grounded in an instrument Bonebrake and Moremen share. “We just started just with the drums on a couple of things,” says Moremen. “Because we're both drummers, we can kind of speak that language.” DJ adds, "John would send me demos of songs and encourage me to change or improve the drum parts. I just filtered his ideas into a style that's natural to me. A John and DJ hybrid. Two Heads!"

But what does Two Heads sound like? It depends on who you ask.

“It’s like the Ventures meets Thelonious Monk on the beach in space,” offers Aron. “It's kind of Frank Zappa meets the Ventures meets TV soundtrack music,” adds Krummenacher. “Some of it is really oddball,” says Bonebrake. “It’s a little subversive at times, but it's also very melodic and always rocking!”